Sliding window and counterbalancer combination

ABSTRACT

1,002,338. Balancing sashes. GENERAL BRONZE CORPORATION. Dec. 15, 1961 [Feb. 8, 1961], No. 44985/61. Heading E1J. A sliding sash S is balanced on each side by an upwardly-biased housing 11 sliding in a channel-sectioned frame member. A tension spring 26 in each housing 11 acts on a slide 29 having a pulley 30 pivoted to it, round which is wound one end of a cable 33, thereby causing pulleys 31, 32 and the housing, to which they are attached, to move upwards. In the top of the housing is fixed a slide member 16 supporting the pivot pins 20 of a latch 15 in slots, which latch has pivoted to it an arm 24 which is pivoted in turn to a rod 22 with a circumferential spring for holding the latch in a vertical position when the toe 37 of the latch is engaged under a shoulder 40 on the frame member. Attached to the bottom of the housing is a slide member 12 with an inclined surface 16&lt;SP&gt;1&lt;/SP&gt; The sash S carries hooked projections 36 which bear on the housing 11, and spring clips 17, and the vertical sash members carry weather seals 8 and seals 7 of plastics material. To disengage the sash S from the frame, both latches 15 must be engaged with shoulders 40 in the side frame members, the sash lifted and then moved into either of the side frame members until the opposite edge can be freed.

Dec. 17, 1963 E. H. WOOD SLIDING WINDOW AND COUNTERBALANCER COMBINATION Filed Feb. 8. 1961 a,

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INVENTOR. Edward H. Wood BY GLrzf ;%I'r/ ,Sj%%

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,114,178 SLIDING WENDUW AND CGUNTERBALANCER CGMBENATEUN Edward H. Wood, Sanford, N.C., assignor to General Bronze Corporation, Garden City, Nfi. Filed Feb. 8, 1951, Ser. No. 87,920 9 Claims. (ill. 2il52.2)

This invention relates to a window sash balancer which may be used in either single hung or double hung window sashes.

For convenience I shall describe the counter-balancers in connection with a single hung sash since the counterbalancers of a double hung sash duplicate those of a single hung sash.

A primary object of the invention resides in the provision of a counterbalancer that will at all times and at all positions of the sash be housed completely between the sash and the jamb of the window frame and which is so constructed and arranged that the complete counterbalancer may be locked to and within the jamb and completely disconnected from the sash to permit the removal of the sash while the counterbalancer remains secured to the jamb of the frame.

A further object of the invention is to provide a counterbalance-r of the above described type which will act to counterbalance the weight of the sash in its various positions of opening and closing.

A further object of the invention is to provide a counterbalancer of the above described type which is formed as a self-contained unit which may be sold as such and installed on the jamb of the frame ready for the reception of the window sash by simple manual emplacement and which may thereafter be easily attached and correlated with the sash by a second simple manual operation.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the description of the embodiment which I have chosen to illustrate my invention progresses.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings comprises essentially an elongated casing or housin which is located between the edge of the sash and the jamb of the frame and which is attached at its upper and lower ends to the jamb and to the upper end of which the sash is releasably attached. Within this housing a sash counterbalancing arrangement is located. This in the form illustrated in the drawings is comprised by a spring attached to the upper end of the housing, with which spring is associated an arrangement to create a mechanical advantage, that is to say, to multiply the action of the spring. This arrangement is constituted by a series of pulleys over which a cable passes in much the same manner as a block and fall which cable is at its end attached to the adjacent jamb of the frame. The sash at its upper rail is releasably connected to the upper end of the casing isuch manner that when the sash is raised or lowered the casing with its housed parts will travel with the sash and be covered by the sash in all of th various operative positions.

At the upper end of the casing or housing, a latch is mounted which is engageable with the complemental element of the jamb of the frame to lock the balancer to the jamb and thus permit the sash to travel upwardly independently of the balancer to a position where the sash may be removed from the window frame independently of the counterbalancer.

In the drawing,

FIGURE 1 is a vertical view, partly in section and partly FIGURE 2 is a similar view showing, however, the sash balancer locked to the window frame and the sash partly raised to a position which will enable it to be removed from the window frame;

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal sectional view, partly in perspective, taken on the plane indicated by the line 3-3: and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view, taken on the plane of line 44, and looking in the direction of the arrow;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view, partly in broken away elevation and partly in section, showing the latching means at the upper end of the balancer.

The drawing represents an actual embodiment of the invention, but it to be understood that the disclosure of this embodiment is for the purpose of illustrating the application of the invention, for various modifications may be made in the details of construction within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

Referring to the drawing, a window frame F and a sash S are illustrated. The jamb of the frame forms a sash-receiving channel C which is defined by a base 1 and flanges 2 and 3.

The side rails of the sash are of open channel form and each is constituted by a base web 4 and flanges 5 and 6, the base web being provided with glazing means.

The space between flange 3 of the frame and the flange 6 of the adjacent side wall of the sash is sealed by a plastic seal 7 which also acts to prevent a metal-to-metal surface contact. The flange 5 of the side rail of the sash carries a weather seal 8.

The side rails of the sash extend only partially into the channels C of the frame on both sides of the window so that the sash may be moved deeper into one of the channels to permit its removal from the frame, it being normally prevented from removal except when in a partially open position by a construction which later will be described.

In order that the weight of the sash may be balanced there is provided a sash balancer which is mounted in the jamb on each side of the frame and is attachable to the sash. This balancer comprises a housing 9 which in the illustration embodiment is preferably U-shaped in cross section, having an open face It adjacent the base 1 of the frame jamb and having a continuous wall 11 facing the sash, the housing being substantially co-extensive in length with that of the sash.

This casing is removably and slidably mounted in the channel C of the frame jamb, being attached at its lower end to a block 12 which is provided with ribs 13 that slide vertically in grooves 14 adjacent the base ll of the frame jamb. Flanges 14 which are carried by the housing in the manner later described slide in the grooves 14 to hold the upper end of the housing in the frame F while permitting it to slide.

The upper end of this housing may be secured to or detached by a latch 15, whose structure and operation later will be described. When the sash is closed it will be centered in the window opening by the face 16' of the block 12 at its lower end and by a spring member 17 at its upper end which spring member is attached at 18 to the sash. As the sash is raised the lower end will pass over and above the inclined surface 16' of the block 12 and the spring 17 will pass beyond the upper end of the housing 9 to such a position, for example, as shown in FIGURE 2. The sash will then have freedom of lateral movement at which time it may more deeply be moved into a jamb channel and then swing to a removal position.

It is of course to be understood that the structure that is shown in the drawing is duplicated on the other side of the window.

In order that the housing may be anchored to the frame 3 against sliding movements in the jam'o the latch is prov -ed and is pivotally mounted adjacent the upper end of the housing.

In the form illustrated in the drawing, this latch device comprises a slide member 16 carrying the rib 14 which slide in the grooves 1-; in the window frame. The slide member is attached rigidly to the housing 9 at 18' and is located in the channel (3" of the frame jarnb. Tie slide member 16 is comprised by spaced side plates 1?. The latch member 15 is pivoted betw en the plates 19 at 22.53 on a sliding pivot which is capable of sliding vertically in slots 21. The latch member 15 is biased into either of the positions shown in FIGURES l and 2 by a spring 21 which surrounds a pin 22 that is pivotally attached at 23 to an extension 24 of the latch member. The pin freely operates in a guide member 25 and the s ring 21' bears against this guide member and the end of the annular projection 24-.

Thus the housing 9, comprise, with its attachments at its upper and lower ends in effect, one complete unit which is movable vertically within the channel C of the frame jamb.

A. counterbalancing spring 26 is located within the housing 9 and is attached at 2.7 to the housing at the upper end the spring. The lower end of the spring is attached at 2.3 to a slide 2'9 that is located within the housing and is slidable vertically therein. This slide 23 carries a pulley which is movable with the slide. A pair of pulleys 3i and 32 are mounted within the housing 9 on fixed axes.

A flexible elongated member, such as a w' "e or cable 33, is attached at 3 to the slide 29. This member 33 passes around the pulley 31, thence upwardly and around to pulley 3i) and thence downwardly and around the pulley 32. Thence it extends upwardly within the channel C of the frame jamb and is detachably engaged at to the base member 1 of the frame jamb.

This spring 26 with its mechanism for creating a mechanical advantage normally forces the upper end of the housing 9 into contact with a projection as which is rigid with the upper end of the sash S and extends into the channel C of the jarnb to a slight extent.

The latch member 15 is provided with a toe portion 37 and a slot 33. The upper edge of the flange is adapted to engage the slot 33 and the toe portion 37 is adapted to engage the abutment 4% on the frame F. When the latch member is in the position shown in FIGURE 2 engaging the abutment 49 it is held in this engagement by the reaction of the spring 26. This latch member 15 is provided with a thumb-piece 41 so that it conveniently may be manually operated to swing to operative and inoperative positions.

Describing now the operation of this combination, when the latch member 15 is in the position shown in FlGURE 1, that is to say disengaged from the frame jamb, the spring mechanism forces the housing 9 into contact with the projection 36 on the upper rail of the sash S, thus tending to move the sash upwardly with itself.

When manual force is applied to the sash to move the same vertically upwardly the spring mechanism will cause the housing 9 with its latch 15 and spring mechanism to move upwardly with the sash, while the latch 15 remains in the position shown in FIGURE 1, free from the frame F. Thus the sash will be counterbalanced in its various positions.

it is to be noted that the entire housing with its spring mechanism is at all times and in all positions of the sash located between the sash and the jamb and is substantially co-extensive with the vertical dimension of the sash. is important because no matter what the position of the sash, the counterbalancer will be covered by the sash and will not be visible either on the outside or inside of the window.

When it is desired, however, to remove the sash completely from the window frame, the sash is lowered to its lowermost position and the latch member 15 is manually moved into position to engage the frame F. As the sash is moved upwardly the toe portion 37 of the latch 15 engages the abutment 4% on the frame F and the edge 39 engages in the slot 33. The movement of the sash balancer is thus arrested and it is locked in the channel of the window frame F against further upward or longitudinal movement. When in its movement upwardly, the lower end of the sash moves to a position above the block 15 and the spring l7 moves beyond the upper edge of the then stationary housing, the sash may be removed from the frame by moving it toward the housing more deeply into the adjacent frame channel to free it from the opposite frame channel.

It will be realized that it is necessary to lock the upper ends of both of the counterbalancers to the opposite jambs of the frame before the sash is removed. However, it might be that an operator would lock one of the balancers to one jarnb and forget to lock the other to its adjacent lamb. To prevent the removal of the sash when and if this condition exists the projections 36 on the opposite sides of the sash are provided with downwardly extending projections 36' which are adapted to engage the upper end of the balancer, preferably the wall of the housing, when an attempt is made to move the sash laterally. These projections are so co-related with each other and with the springs 17 that the lateral movement of the sash will be limited to such an extent that the sash may not be removed until the other unlocked sash balancer has been locked and the sash has been moved upwardly to disengage the projections 36 from the upper end of the counterbalancer.

It will be realized that if one of the counterbalancers is locked to the jamb of the frame in the position shown in FEGURE 2, for instance, and the other is unlocked from the frame as shown in FIGURE 1, the sash may be moved upwardly and downwardly with the benefit of only one balancer and the finger 36' that is still engaged with the upper end of the operating balancer will prevent lateral movement of the sash sufficient to permit its accidental removal.

Thus it will be seen that a sash balancer combination is provided wherein the sash balancer is completely housed in the channel of the frame jamb and is substantially coextensive with the vertical dimension of the sash. When the sash is moved upwardly or downwardly the sash baiancer moves with it and maintains its same relationship so with all positions of the sash, the sash balancer is hidden from view. Moreover, the sash balanc/er may selectively be connected to the sash, or to the frame; to the sash when it is desired to have it counterbalance the weight of the sash and to the frame when it is desired to remove the window. Being attached to the frame and detached from the sash, the sash itself may be removed without removing the sash balancer, and the sash balancer will remain secured in the channel of the frame jamb ready for re-attachrnent to the sash when the latter is emplaced.

In the drawing, there is illustrated the presently preferred embodiment of the invention and the specification escribes this embodiment, but it is to be understood that the claims define that which comprises the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a window construction a frame having opposite channeled jambs, a sash slidable in said channeled jambs to positions toward opposite ends of the frame, a sash balancer comprising an elongated housing slidably mounted in the channel of one of said jambs to slide toward opposite ends of said frame, means on said housing for rnm'ntaining said housing within said channel, means for releasably latching said housing to the adjacent lamb against movement longitudinally of said jamb, means on said housing engaging with said latching means to urge it toward its latching position when said sash is moved in one direction and a spring assembly attached to said housing and to said frame biasing said housing in a direction to cause engagement between said sash and the adiacent end of said housing.

2. The combination of elements recited in claim 1, wherein said housing and said spring assembly including the latters attachment to said frame is located within the length of said sash.

3. The combination of elements recited in claim 1, wherein said latching means comprises a latch pivoted to said housing and having a portion engageable with an abutment on said frame to limit the movement of said housing in one direction and wherein said latch is provided with a notch and said housing with a portion engageable with said notch to prevent the movement of said latch in one direction.

4. In a window construction, a frame having opposite channeled jambs, a sash slidable in said channeled jambs to positions toward opposite ends of the frame, a sash baiancer comprising an elongated housing permanently and longitudinally slidably mounted in a channel of one of said jambs, means spacing said sash from said housing comprising a block member carried by the housing adiacent one of its ends and a spring member carried by the sash adjacent the opposite end, means urging said housing longitudinally into engagement with said sash and to bias said sash and said housing in an upward direction, means to arrest the movement of said housing while permitting said sash to continue an upward movement to such extent that said spring member is moved beyond said housing and said sash is moved out of contact with said block to ermit lateral movement of said sash.

5. A sash balancer comprising an elongated housing, oppositely extending guiding flanges carried by said housing adjacent one end thereof, a latch member carried by said housing adjacent the other end thereof, a tension spring assembly located within said housing and attached thereto at one of its ends and an elongated flexible mem ber connected with the opposite end of said spring memoer and having means on one end thereof for attachment to a window frame, said latch member being pivoted relative to said housing and having means for maintaining said latch member in either of two positions.

6. The combination recited in claim 5, wherein means is provided to permit said latch to have slidable motion on said housing.

7. in a window construction, a frame having opposite channeled jambs, a sash slidable in said channeled jarnbs to positions toward opposite ends of the frame, a sash balance-r comprising an elongated housing permanently and slidably mounted in a channel of one of said jambs, a spring assembly attached to said housing and to said last mentioned jamb to slide said housing in one direction, means on one end of said housing for selectively attaching said end to said frame against sliding movements and releasing said end from said frame to permit such movements, and an abutment on said sash engageable by the lat mentioned end of said housing under the influence of the spring assembly whereby to restrain relative movement between said housing and said sash when said last mentioned end of said housing is released from said frame for sliding movements, said spring assembly being effective to move said housing with said sash when said end of said housing is released from attachment against sliding movements to said frame.

8. in a window construction, a frame having opposite channeled ja-mbs, a sash slidably mounted in said channeied jambs to move to positions toward opposite ends of the frame, a sash balancer comprising an elongated housing permanently mounted in a channel of one of said jambs and slidable in the directions of movement of said sash, means spacing said sash from said housing comprising an abutment member carried by the housing adjacent one of its ends and contacting the sash when the sash is in one position and a spring member carried by the sash adjacent the opposite end of said housing and contacting the same when the sash is in said one position, resilient means urging said housing longitudinally into engagement with said sash in one direction of the movement of said housing and to bias said sash and said housing in said direction, and means arresting the movement of said housing in a longitudinal direction while permitting said sash to continue its movement in said one direction to such extent that said spring member is moved beyond said housing and said sash is moved beyond said abutment member to permit lateral movement of said sash.

9. In a window construction, a frame having opposite channeled jambs, a sash slidably mounted in said channeled jambs to move to positions toward opposite ends of the frame, a sash balancer comprising an elongated housing permanently mounted in a channel of one of said jambs and slidable in the directions of movement of said sash, means spacing said sash from said housing comprising an abutment member carried by the housing adjacent one of its ends and contacting the sash when the sash is in one position and a spring member carried by the sash adjacent the opposite end of said housing and contacting the same when the sash is in said one position, resilient means urging said housing longitudinally into engagement with said sash in one direction of the movement of said housing and to bias said sash and said housing in said direction, means arresting the movement of said housing in a longitudinal direction while permitting said sash to continue its movement in said direction to such extent that said spring member is moved beyond said housing and said sash is moved beyond abutment member to permit lateral movement of said sash, and coacting means on said frame and said housing latching said housing to said frame and rendering said resilient means ineffective to bias said sash.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN A WINDOW CONSTRUCTION A FRAME HAVING OPPOSITE CHANNELED JAMBS, A SASH SLIDABLE IN SAID CHANNELED JAMBS TO POSITIONS TOWARD OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE FRAME, A SASH BALANCER COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HOUSING SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN THE CHANNEL OF ONE OF SAID JAMBS TO SLIDE TOWARD OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID FRAME, MEANS ON SAID HOUSING FOR MAINTAINING SAID HOUSING WITHIN SAID CHANNEL, MEANS FOR RELEASABLY LATCHING SAID HOUSING TO THE ADJACENT JAMB AGAINST MOVEMENT LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID JAMB, MEANS ON SAID HOUSING ENGAGING WITH SAID LATCHING MEANS TO URGE IT TOWARD ITS LATCHING POSITION WHEN SAID SASH IS MOVED IN ONE DIRECTION AND A SPRING ASSEMBLY ATTACHED TO SAID HOUSING AND TO SAID FRAME BIASING SAID HOUSING IN A DIRECTION TO CAUSE ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN SAID SASH AND THE ADJACENT END OF SAID HOUSING. 